Immunohistochemicallocalization of P63 normal and proliferative conditions of the human prostate

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed at studying the immunoexpression of p63, the basal cell marker, in the normal human prostate gland and proliferative conditions. p63 was suggested as a valuable too/facilitating tile diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma and demarcating areas of transition from benign to malignant prostatic lesions. Human prostatic specimens were taken from patients with age range between 60- 70 years. The study was carried out on thirty-two prostate glands. Five were normal control prostates. Eleven prostatic specimens showed nodular prostatic hyperplasia [NPR], five of them exhibited cystic dilatation of its acini. Seven specimens partially presented NPH and partially expressed adenocarcinoma and nine specimens of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Prostatic sections were subjected to H and E staining and p63 immunohistochemical study. The optical density of p63 immunoreactive nuclei of busal cells of the human prostatic acini were assessed using image analysis. In the human prostatic acini, nuclei of the basal cells in the control group and cases of NPH were p63 immunoreactive. However, cases of NPH exhibiting cystic dilatation of acini, revealed a highly significant [P<0. 005] decrease in tile optical density of p63 immunoreactive nuclei of the basal cells versus the control group. Negative p63 inmunostaining was clearly noted in all cases of prostatic adenocarcinoma. Therefore, p63 can be considered as a useful tool that confirm the diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma especially in prostate needle biopsy